Gripping device for wire-cable railways



2 Sheets- Sheet l.

{No Model.)

R. WETHERILL.

GRIPING DEVIE FOR WIRE CABLE RAILWAYS.

N. PETERS, Plwmumugnpw, wnsnmgm". D. c.

2 L. L I R E H T E W R.

I GEIEEING DEVICE EOE WEEE CABLE EAILWAYS.

Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

WEEE frames C C,

UNITED STATES ROBERT VETHERILL,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR'WlRE-CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340.405, dated April 20, 1886.

Application filed Qctober 12, i855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT WETHERILL, of Chester, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gripping Devices for Tire-Rope Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object the construction of an improved gripping device for endless-rope traction-railways; and it consists in means whereby the gripping-jaws may be quickly and with great power applied to the cable and readily released therefrom, and whereby,further, the motion may be adjusted as the shoes wear out.

My invention is of 'that class wherein the hand-lever under the control of the attendant is placed at the 'front platform of the ear, the grip being situated under the center of the car.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement, a portion of the ear to which it is applied being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Figs. 3 and I are respectively a top and a side view, upon an enlarged scale, of details of the invention. Fig. 5is an end view, partly in section, of thefeatures shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the respective iigures.

A is the body of the car, of which a is the front platform.

A part of the truck-frame of the car is shown at b, to which is securely attached the frame B, forming the main support of the grip and its adjunets. The frame B is made in' two sections, a and b, secured together by means of the key-bolts c. To the section b of the frame are attached by rivets c the hanging which support the grip proper, (shown by C in Fig. l.)` Through the lower central part of the frame B passes a bolt, d, upon which are mounted links D. rlhe han ging frames C C are placed between the two sections c b of the frame B. The two inner rivets, c', serve the double purpose of holding the frames C G and section b together and sustaining the guard-bar @,whieh passes around and in front of one side of the frame B, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4. The said Serial No. 179,713. (No model.)

hanging frames G C and section b of the frame B are detachable from the other section, a', to which they are bolted by means of the keybolts c.

F is the operating-bar, extending down to the lever of the grip-jaw. The operating-bar F, which connects with the moving grip-jaw, works with the necessary ease vertically between the hanging frames C C, its upper end passing through the open center of the frame B, and being formed into an eye, f. The eye f enters the jaw f of the lever E, the connection being made between the eye f and the jaw f by means of a bolt, g. The lever E is provided with a three-sided step or seat, y', at its side, within which is fitted the cross-head y, having at each end a pin, g, which receives the upper end of one of the links D, the said links being held in place by pins g4. An adjusting set-screw, h, passes through the center of the eross-head and bears upon theinner side of the step or seat g'. By means of the adjusting set-screw h the position of the cross-head in the step or seat may be regulated, and consequently therelation of the links D to the lever E changed. The cross-head g is secured, after adjustment, within the step or seat g by means of the set-screw h. The vertical operating-bar F is provided with a slot, h, which surrounds the bolt al, the slot being of sufficient length to allow the requisite movement to the bar F. The lever E connects by means of the rod i with the hand-lever H, placed at the front platform of the car, and having its pivot in the hanger fi. A toothed quadrant or sector, la, is suitably supported upon the platform. A pawl, Z, is pivoted to the handlever H, and may be lifted by compressing the ordinary handle,Z,at the outer end of the lever H, which draws on the connecting-link Z".

In Fig. 1 the position of the hand-lever H,

when the grip is open, is shown in full lines.

To grip the rope the hand-lever H must be caused to travel between the points :l: and y.

The point :c represents the position of the IOO l tained in the use of the links D and lever E great power can be conveniently applied, and that the parts can be readily adjusted as the shoes wear out.

Having described my invention, I claiml. In a gripping device for cable railways, a frame secured under the car, made in two sections and provided with means for securing the two sections detachably together, hanging frames, a slotted operating-bar, alever pivoted to the operatingbar and having a step formed with or attached thereto, a pair of links pivoted at one end to the frame, a cross-head mounted in the step and having pins to which the other end of the said links are pivoted, and means for adjusting the cross-head within the step, all combined substantially as set forth.

2. In a gripping device for cable railways, a frame secured under the car, made in two sections and provided with means for securing the two sections detachably together, hanging frames, a slotted operati n g-bar, a lever pivoted to the operating-bar and having a step formed with or attached thereto, a pair of links pivoted at one end to the frame, a cross-head 25' ROBT. VETHERILL. VitncSScS:

Tiros. H. CAMPBELL, E. C. XVILLrnMs. 

